Article platform support



B. A. ARVIDSON ARTICLE PLATFDRM SUPPORT June 1 8., 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 15. 1960 INVENTOR. Q. (Zw/idw June 18, 1963 B. A. ARvlDsoN ARTICLE PLATFORM SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15. 1960 l) NT United States Patent ice Patented lune 1S, lil-d3 3,093,944 ARTICLE PLATFORM SUPPRT Bengt A. Arvidson, Chicago, lll., assignor to Miller Wrapping & Sealing Machine Co., a corporation of illinois Filed Nov. 15, 1950, Ser. No. 69,424 4 Claims. (ill. 53--2tl6) This invention relates to an article supporting platform and more particularly to a platform for supporting articles during partial wrapping thereof with a wrapping material.

The platform disclosed by this invention is adaptable for use Iin partially wrapping an article and also for use with a wrapping apparatus of the type described in my copending application 762,461, filed September 22, 1958, now Patent No. 2,954,654, which discloses a wrapping method and apparatus for packaging meats, produce `and other commodities for sale in self-service stores by the use of wrapping material. Since product sizes vary considerably, the instant platform must be readily adjustable to conform therewith.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved wrapping aid in the form of a platform for supporting articles of different sizes that may be quickly and properly adjusted to conform to the size of the supported article.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support for articles of various sizes having a stationary platform and a movable platform with means whereby the movable platform may be moved relative to the stationary platform to vary the width of the support.

A further object is to provide such a support with means including an elongate rod slidable within said support whereby simple manual movement of the rod will vary the width of the support -to conform with the width of the article.

Further -objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of an embodiment of the platform associated with ya package wrapping apparatus;

FIG. 2 isa side View partly in section of the platform and wrapping apparatus; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the platform taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The scope 'of the invention will be pointed out -in the appended claims.

As shown generally in the drawings, the platform support and wrapping apparatus comprises a frame indicated generally at having a top 11 which is disposed adjacent an article receiving conveyor indicated generally at 12 fon moving an article through subsequent wrapping operat-iqins. The platform support is indicated generally at 13 andjis positioned above and adjacent an end of the frame 10. iA hot plate 14 for sealing the wrapping material is mounted in fixed relation to the frame 10 adjacent the platform support 13.

The table top 11 is 'adapted to support a tray 15 which carries a stack of superimposed sheets 15a of wrapping material. The tray 15 carries a pair of leaf spring members 16 and 17 which together carry at their end a block 18 mounting a downwardly extending sharp pin 19 for piercing each of the sheets in the corner thereof to hold the sheets in the tray 15. Various trays are available for providing different sizes of wrapping material.

An embodiment of the platform support 13 to which this invention applies, includes a vertical member 20 in the form of a plate secured to the frame 1G by means such as threaded bolts 21, rising a distance above the' table top 11 and having its top portion 22 bent in a direction toward the hot plate 14. The member 2.1i extends substantially across yan end of the frame 1d, as shown in FIG. 1 and mounts the main platform support composed lof a plate 23 having a pair of downwardly bent legs 2:4 and 25 `at one edge thereof, one adjacent each of the ends of the plate and at right angles thereto. The legs are secured tothe member 2d by nuts and bolts 26. The plate 23 is provided with a cut-out area intermediate the ends thereof to facilitate manual grasping of an article positioned on lthe platform. This cut-out area is indicated at 27 in FlG. l.

An auxiliary platform comprises a pair of generally rectangular plates 31D and 31 positioned below the plate 23, one on either side of the cut-out area 27 and having their top surfaces in near contact therewith. An edge 33 of each of the two plates 3@ and 31 when retracted lies in line with an edge of plate 23 remote from the frame member 20. Each of the plates Sil and 31 are pivotally connected to the plate 23, adjacent the edge 33, by individual bolts 35 and 35a about which the plates may move relative to the stationary plate 23 and assume positions as shown by dotted lines, and referred to as 311 and 31', in FIG. l.

A pair of brackets 4G and 46a extend outwardly from the vertical member 2G', at right angles thereto and on the opposite side from the plate 23, to support the hot plate 14. Each of the brackets is provided with in-line holes 41 which are preferably square but may be of any desired shape. The holes are located just below the hot plate 14 and slidably receive an elongate rod 42. The ends of the rod extend beyond the ends of the vertical member Ztl and terminate in rounded portions or knobs 43 that facilitate manual shifting of the rod from either side.

An elongate fiat link 44 has one end pivotally connected to the bottom side of the elongate rod 42, to the left of the cent-er thereof, as viewed in FIG. 1,. by a bolt 45 and has the other end pivotally connected to the movable plate 3() `adjacent and to the right side of pivot bolt 35, by a bolt 46. Similarly, a flat elongated link 47, the same size and length of link 44, has one end pivotally connected to the underside lof the elongated rod 42, an equal distance to the right of the center thereof, as viewed in FIG. l, by a bolt 43. The other end of the link 47 is pivotally connected to the underside of the movable plate 31 by a bolt 49 located adjacent and to the right side of the pivot bolt 35a.

An L-shaped leaf spring 5@ has one iof its legs 51 tafiixed to the inside surface of the bracket 40a just below the opening 41 by a suitable nut and bolt 52. The other leg 53 of the leaf spring 50 extends generally parallel to the rod 42 and is bent upwardly against the bottom surface of the rod as shown in FIG. 3. Another L-shaped leaf spring 54 is secured in -a similar manner to the bracket 4). The two `springs 56 and 54 offer frictional resistance to the movement of the elongate rod 42 pre- Venting it from moving in the holes 41 unless force is applied at the ends of the rod by the operator.

The operation of the embodiment of the platform support and the wrapping apparatus will now be described.

In the following example it will be assumed that the article to be supported is of a large size `and the full extension of Ithe platform support is required. The operator slides the elongate rods 42 as far tto the left as possible as viewed in FIG. 1 and the rod assumes a position shown by the dotted lines and designated as 43; the links 44 and 47 move to the positions designated at 44 and 47 and the plates 30 and 31 pivot equally and oppositely about the pivot bolts 35 and 35a in a counterclockwise and clockwise direction respectively, to assume the position designated as 30 and 31', thereby extending the size of the platform support to receive the large sized articles. An article, such as a tray 5S is placed on the platform support 13 above the wrapping material 15 and is partially wrapped in a manner more fully described in my co-pending application Serial No. 762,461, tiled September 22, 1958. The partially wrapped article is then lifted from the platform support f1.3 and placed on the hot plate 14 -to seal the wrapping material and thence to the conveyor 12 to be moved to a subsequent wrapping operation.

If a small article is to be wrapped the operator merely shifts the elongate rod 42 to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1 pivoting the movable plates 30 and 31 in equal and opposite directions to position them entirely underneath the stationary plate 23:. It should be noted that there are numerous intermediate positions that the movable plates 30 and 3'1 may assume to accommodate a variety of article sizes.

The springs 5t) and 54 provide a sufcient restraining force against the elongate rod 42 to prevent relative movement ofthe rod and the plates 30' and 31 during normal use of the platform support, but readily yield to allowV movement of the rod by the operator when he Wishes to adjust the sizeof the platform.

I claim:

l. A platform for supporting articles to be wrapped, comprising: a frame; a main plate aHiXed to said frame and lying in a horizontal plane; a pair of second plates operatively associated with said iirst plate and movable relative thereto; an elongate rod longitudinally movable on `said frame; and a pair of links, each of said pair of links connecting one of said second plates to said rod, whereby the pair of second plates are moved relative `to the first plate to vary the size of the platform in response to movement of the rod.

2. An expandable support for articles of various sizes, comprising: a frame, having a pair of brackets mounted thereon; a plate aiiixed to said frame and lying in a horizontal plane; a pair of movable plates beneath said plate and :operatively associated therewith; an elongate rod movable in said brackets; Ia pair of links, each of said pair 'of links connecting one of said movable plates to the center portion of said rod, whereby said movable plates `are moved relative to said fixed plate to increase the size of said support upon movement yof the rod; and means for retaining said movable plates in their extended position.

3. A platform for supporting articles, comprising: a frame having a main plate extending generally horizontally therefrom; a pair of movable plates normally disposed beneath and adjacent said main plate, and pivotally mounted to said plate for movement in a generally horizontal plane; -an elongate rod longitudinally movable in said frame; means inter-connecting said elongate rod with said movable plates, including a pair of links, whereby movement of the rod in one direction will shift said links and pivot said movable plates equally and in opposite directions about said pivotal mounting to positions beyond said main plate; and friction means for retain- Iing said rod and said plates in position, including spring means mounted on said frame and in contact with the rod.

4. A supportfor articles, comprising: a frame, having a main plate extending generally horizontally therefrom; means defining an iopening in said plate intermediate the end thereof and remote from said frame to facilitate manual grasping yof an article; a pair of movable plates normally disposed beneath and adjacent said main plate, one on each side of said opening, and pivotally mounted to said plate for movement in a generally horizontal plane;

an elongate rod longitudinally movable in said frame;

means interconnecting said elongate rod with said movable plates, including a pair `of equal length links, one of said pair of links having one end spaced to one side of a point midway the length of said rod and pivotally connected thereto, the other end of said one link being pivotally connected to one of said movable plates between the f pivotal mounting thereof and the center of said platform,

the other of said pair of links having one Vend spaced to the other side of said midway point and pivotally connected to said rod, and the other end pivotally connected to the other of said movable plates adjacent the pivotal mounting thereof and remote from the center of said platform, whereby said links will shift and pivot said movable plates equally and in opposite directions about their respective pivotal mountings in response to rod movement; and friction means in contact with the rod 2,954,654 Arvidson Oct. 6, 1960L Muskat Mar. 14, 1961` 

1. A PLATFORM FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES TO BE WRAPPED COMPRISING: A FRAME; A MAIN PLATE AFFIXED TO SAID FRAME AND LYING IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE; A PAIR OF SECOND PLATES OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST PLATE AND MOVABLE RELATIVE THERETO; AN ELONGATE ROD LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE ON SAID FRAME; AND A PAIR OF LINKS, EACH OF SAID PAIR OF LINKS CONNECTING ONE OF SAID SECOND PLATES TO SAID ROD, WHEREBY THE PAIR OF SECOND PLATES ARE MOVED RELATIVE TO THE FIRST PLATE TO VARY THE SIZE OF THE PLATFORM IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF THE ROD. 